November 17, 2011

WASHINGTON — The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) on Nov. 8 called for greater precautions with nuclear weapons and a renewed effort toward disarmament.

“The rules have changed in the past 25 years,” NAE President Leith Anderson said. “Nuclear weapons don’t serve as a deterrent to the dangers of our post-Cold War era, which include rogue nations and terrorist groups.”

The resolution calls for taking a second look at the Cold War doctrine of deterrence in light of shifting global politics, and challenges the United States to pursue new negotiations with Russia and other nuclear countries.

It does not, however, call for unilateral disarmament.

The resolution also challenges the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which would create significant impediments for countries to develop new, usable nuclear weapons. The U.S. is one of only nine remaining nations that must ratify the treaty for it to come into force.

The board of directors of NAE, which represents more than 45,000 churches from more than 40 evangelical denominations, approved the resolution at its semiannual meeting in October.